Reiki and dogs; using energy work to improve health
Why reiki for dogs?
Reiki and dogs. Reiki is a form of energy healing that can be used on dogs, as well as people, animals, plants, situations,…..pretty much anything. It’s based on the theory that everything is connected by energy. This form of healing was developed in Japan more than 100 years ago.
I wrote about it in an earlier post called Learn to perform Reiki on your dog. Take a look for more about the basic process and learn how to perform it yourself. It’s not too difficult to learn and become functional.
I became a Reiki master several years ago. Since then, I’ve been practicing on dogs, cats, horses, family members, and even myself. One of the nice things about Reiki is that it causes NO harm. The worst it can do is to do nothing at all, unless, of course, you put yourself in harm’s way. But that’s your doing and not Reiki. For example, a dog can still bite if they feel the need.
Using Reiki on my dogs
I decided to learn about it when we adopted some dogs with health issues, conditions like arthritis, hip dysplasia, old injuries, or spondylosis (a spine overgrowth problem). We tried medications from the vet first, and they were ok.
While they did help some, the drugs had side effects. And since it’s easy to overdose and cause problems for the dogs, we could only give so much. They didn’t even do the job completely. That left a continuing need for other pain relief.
I started offering Reiki to my dogs. The classes talk about allowing them to refuse if they don’t want it. The way I offer it to them is to mentally “ask” if they want some. The dog will notice my intention and will move away if they don’t want it. Sometimes they do refuse.
Other times, they might want a bit of space instead of receiving it hands-on. The dog will stay close but will put a little distance between us. Dogs are more sensitive in general and to Reiki in particular, so sometimes, the energy can be too much. One great thing is that Reiki sessions can be adapted to meet most needs.
How effective is it?
I find that the more I use Reiki on them, the more the dogs want me to use it on them. Lincoln, our malinois mix, seemed to need it the most often with so many ongoing issues. When he gets a Reiki treatment, he seemed almost like a different dog instead of needing more pain medicine.
With rare exceptions, each of the dogs will lie still and receive the Reiki energy I’m sending them. And the other dogs often gather around, as if they are also enjoying the effects. Since energy is all connected, I imagine they are actually receiving Reiki too.
The session ends when I feel the draw of energy from my hands stop. Each dog knows how much they need and uses it accordingly. It's very intuitive.
I could be more regular in offering sessions, but I try to offer it weekly or when I see that one of the dogs is needing it. I’ve used Reiki for pain issues, anxiety, and skin issues.
The results aren’t really measurable in a concrete way. That’s not surprising since the problems aren’t exactly measurable either. But living with the dogs, I do notice that they are more active and seem happier.
Does Reiki for dogs work?
Reiki is not a mainstream therapy, but it has potential, is easily accessible, and has no side effects. A good number of veterinary hospitals are making Reiki available to help their patients relax for treatment or heal from injuries or surgeries. And you can learn to do it at home whenever your dog (or you) needs it. So why not try it?
You can find practitioners who can perform Reiki or classes to learn how to perform it yourself through online courses pretty easily. One organization that can provide resources is IARP.
Have you explored Reiki for dogs? Tell me about it in the comments below!
For other resources for addressing your dog’s pain, you can read about Laser Therapy or Essential Oils in some of my other posts.
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